As AI tools become more accessible, builders are finding practical ways to use the technology—without replacing experience or expertise
From OpenAI’s popular ChatGPT bot to Google’s new personal Gemini assistant, artificial intelligence (AI) is popping up everywhere these days—in our schools, workplaces, social media feeds, and more. With AI’s rapid acceleration into our daily lives, it’s become a hot topic for both intrigue and alarm. However, when thoughtfully driven by human authority and creativity, AI tools and technology can be a useful resource for streamlining workflows and improving overall day-to-day management.
“When people hear ‘AI,’ they think, ‘Oh no, they’ll take our designs, they’ll take our jobs!’ But what they don’t realize is these are tools to expedite, not replace,” explains Morgan Molitor, co-founder and creative director at local contracting firm construction2style, who has more than four years of AI-related industry experience under her belt. “We’re already good at the craft side of the business, but AI can help elevate the other side—the cash flow and internal processes—so you can think deeper, move faster, and build better.”
What AI Can Do for Your Company
From helping develop strategies and draft communications to acting as a personal assistant when it comes to schedules and reminders, AI can offer additional support on a wide variety of workflows.
“We’ve been leaning in on AI for the last few years, particularly the side that can automate processes and make work more efficient,” says Sven Gustafson, founder and CEO of Stonewood, LLC. “We use AI for all our marketing; building websites, communications, blog posts—it’s all been enhanced and made much more efficient using AI.”
Brand & Marketing
As another collaborator available to bounce ideas off of, AI can help refine your company’s brand identity and brainstorm marketing strategies. “I can ask my bots to keep a pulse on anything company-related, like Google Alerts, or if construction2style pops up on any news or social media outlets,” says Molitor. “If that happens, they let me know and help me see if there’s a potential marketing opportunity there.”
Client Communication
While AI tools can help finesse emails, schedule meetings, and even streamline the initial vetting process of a client, they can also be used to facilitate smoother communication. Gustafson and his
employees utilize ChatGPT and Claude (an AI assistant built by Anthropic) to automatically transcribe all their meetings, both in-person and online. “It frees me up to better focus on the conversation because I don’t have to take notes,” he explains. “I find I’m a more effective design partner and salesman because I get to be more present.”
Finances
AI can also be a great tool for helping identify areas for your company to improve financially, as well as brainstorm ways to meet and recover margins. “I get our financial stats from our accountant every month, and the first thing I do is throw the numbers into my [ChatGPT] bot and ask it how we can be better,” says Molitor. “It keeps track of where all our money is coming from and going to, and it can help us see any gaps we might not have noticed before.”
3 Tips for AI Adoption:
Experiment with different kinds: “Be curious, try different kinds, and make it part of the mission of your company,” says Gustafson. “If you believe the world is changing because of AI, you better start incorporating it.”
Treat AI like another employee: “People start working with AI expecting executive-level results to come out, but it needs to start at entry level,” says Molitor. “You have to be the leader—it won’t learn unless you take the time to educate it. Start by having it work on more simple tasks, and don’t throw out the system at its first mistake.”
Don’t get lazy: “Remember that AI enhances everything, good and bad,” says Gustafson. “If you have a brilliant writer, AI can help their writing be even better. But if you have a lazy employee who’s using it to write emails, AI will also enhance their foolishness. You have to be careful not to replace human thinking with AI.”
Gustafson, who developed a construction project management software called BuildTools that’s used by custom homebuilders and remodelers around the country, shared his current plans to rebuild the entire platform using AI. “We launched that in March, and I think it’ll open a lot of builders’ eyes to what’s possible with AI,” he says.
Molitor, who recently spoke about the topic on a panel at the national Kitchen & Bath Industry Show in Las Vegas, added, “My advice? Don’t fight it unless you want to be left behind.”
4 Additional AI Tools to Explore:
1. DALL-E for design inspiration: “Say I’m working with a client on a stair railing,” explains Molitor. “I can snap a photo, pop it into the image generator, and ask it to show us different iterations. While I wouldn’t use the pictures for building accuracy, they can be great for inspiration—just another way to think fast in the moment!”
2. Descript for social media: “I use high-level Descript for a lot of our video content, like our Facebook posts, Instagram reels, and YouTube shorts,” says Molitor. “I take B-roll footage, throw it into Descript, and with about five clicks, it clips the footage down, stitches it together, and helps it flow.”
3. Canvas for dimensions: “If I’m visiting a client’s home for the first time, I can tell it to scan the room and it’ll get all the dimensions, and the measurements are very accurate,” says Molitor. “It gives you a good starting point and saves time on making another trip out there to get some initial numbers.”
4. Perplexity for research: “Perplexity is great for getting quick answers to your questions and identifying setbacks in a particular city,” says Gustafson. “For example, I can ask it, ‘What will the city of Orono charge for a demolition plan?’ and it’ll spit out the answer.”
